Over the Backyard Fence

For today . . . 

We are having the warmest Christmas season ever! High winds last week caused the power company to shut down service in our area. The fire danger is at an all time high and there was fear a spark from a downed pole might cause a fire in our dry landscape. We are desperately in need of percipitation.

I am thankful . . .

For the arrival of our newest grandson! Milo Samuel was born on December 17th. He is the fifth child of Luke and Miranda, and our seventh grandchild. We will be going to see him in a couple of weeks, as soon as I get the okay to travel.

We are celebrating Christmas . . .

Quietly this year. Fewer decorations, less baking. More enjoying the tree in the evening while watching Christmas movies or reading our books. Our dairy delivers the best eggnog, and this year they’ve added cinnamon eggnog to their menu. It’s hard not to indulge, but it is the holidays, after all.

Things that made my week nicer . . .

Our neighbors make tamales every Christmas and are so generous to share. Last night, Dan and I had some for supper, then we went out to look at Christmas lights. Dan prepared the route, I brought a Christmas playlist and we explored all the neighborhoods in our town. We had hot chocolate and stopped at a bakery for cookies.

Yesterday, I went shopping with my niece. I’m all finished with my Christmas shopping, so it was fun just being along to do hers. She is interviewing for a new position, so we shopped for a new suit for her, too. It took me back to the time when suits and dresses and pantyhose were staples in my wardrobe. Where has the time gone? Then she treated me for a lunch of bloody Mary’s and appetizers. 

Christmas tea with a friend, a visit from my cousin, and some walks at the local pond to see the winter arrivals are other things that made my week.

Books I’ve read. . .

I recently finished History Matters by David McCullough. Anyone who has the slightest interest in history would love this book! We are passing it around the family.

 The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico

Writing Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (this wasn’t exactly holiday material, but it was an interesting read on the re-introduction of wolves in Scotland, and how man and beast are really not all that different).

My reading list . . .

. . . Continues with some favorite winter reads:

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon

And . . .

Sod and Stubble by John Ise

Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips

The Last Life Boat by Hazel Gaynor

I treated myself  . . . 

To a pedicure today. And almost fell asleep during the foot massage.

Some of my favorite things . . . 

Christmas cards in the mail, exchanging treats with neighbors, the chubby squirrel that plays outside my window, Nativity sets, this new print I ordered for Christmas and hangs in our entryway.

For the first time this week, Dan and I woke to a house that was just the two of us. Oh, and one granddog. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Back at the start of Advent I wrote about slowing Christmas down some this year. We expected few visitors and a generally quiet holiday. Oh, boy! The house was full on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and it was a lively 48 hours, with much laughter and rowdiness. I have much to be thankful for this week, and want to pause and remember the moments with Susanne at Friday's Fave Five.

The first to arrive ~ The reinforcements. Andy and Diane (my brother and sister-in-law) arrived on Monday loaded with food and gifts and ready to work. The kitchen was humming that afternoon as all four of us cooked and prepped for the next day. Keeping it real:

Overnight lodgers ~ Joe and Sam decided at the last minute to come for Christmas Eve! They drove from their home in Washington state, stopped for the night (and left their dog) before continuing on to Dallas to see Sam's family for the week. I can't remember the last time they were here for Christmas. It was a delightful surprise! My brother Mark was traveling in the opposite direction from Florida, and he, too, popped in for the night. The table was delightfully crowded for Christmas Eve dinner with my niece and her fiance (who arrived bearing crockpots filled with roast and veggies), my son-in-law and grandkids, Dad and Carol, and the rest of us. Fourteen in all.

A few quiet hours just for us ~ Dan and I had a really nice Christmas morning, just the two of us. Our three overnight guests left very early and the Christmas Day guests were due to arrive at noon. So, we exchanged our gifts to each other and listened to Christmas music, and took our time in the kitchen preparing dishes, until Andy and Diane (who stayed at their daughter Brandi's for Christmas Eve) arrived with Brandi. The five of us shared a light brunch, before we kicked it into gear once again, preparing a dinner to feed 12 that day. 

An announcement on Christmas Day ~ We were joined by my nephew Jason and his wife Sophia, and my youngest brother Matt and wife Lois for dinner. Jason and Sophia announced they are expecting a baby next summer! A girl, due July 4th. 

Best-laid plans and all that ~ For several years now, despite my best efforts, I've failed at attempts to get a snapshot for a family Christmas card. Our immediate family (three grown children and spouses, and six grandchildren) are spread out over the United States. I haven't given up, and will try again next year! But in the meantime, I'm filled with gratitude that this Christmas we had a house filled with loved ones, and it came together with very little pre-planning. (And yet I still have no photos to share!)

Merry Christmas to all!

As I pause to reflect on the things for which I'm especially grateful this week, I'm thinking about our Friday's Fave Five host, Susanne. I'm so thankful for her dedication in keeping us going each week, even when her plate is especially full.

🎄Overall, a productive week ~ Three months out from foot surgery, I am feeling my energy has come back. I had a bout of Covid in the middle of it all, so that didn't help. This week, I got so much accomplished and it felt great. I was able to give the house a good cleaning, finish up some business for a group I volunteer with, and make a big pot of pea soup to freeze for quick meals.

🌲"Old" movies ~ I now consider movies 'old' if they were made before 2000. This week, I was in the mood for Christmas shows, but have grown tired of the cookie cutter format of newer movies. So, I tuned into one called A Christmas Visitor with William Devane, and that led me to a couple more. The Long Way Home and Daisies in December. They are all such good, wholesome movies, with wonderful messages and such great 'seasoned' actors. I'm about ready to watch my all-time favorites now -- The Family Stone, The Holiday, The Bishop's Wife, and White Christmas. What are your favorite Christmas movies?

🌲A concert ~ Brooklynn's winter school concert was last night. I'm so impressed with how a music teacher can create a choir of angels from a group of wiggly, enthusiastic fourth graders. The songs were delightful, and the kids performed beautifully.

🌲A day of shopping ~ Dan and I finished just about all of our Christmas shopping today. Our main goal was buying my present, which made it all the more fun! We started with coffee and breakfast at our local French bakery. It was a really nice day and other than a couple of stocking stuffers, I can say that everything on my list is checked off.

Happy Friday, everyone.

This week was busy as can be, but I want to make time for Friday's Fave Five, to slow down for a minute to savor the good stuff.

A birthday party ~ Last Saturday, my dad turned 92. We celebrated his birthday the way he likes best with family gathered around the table and lots of laughter and good food. My friend Kathy made the lasagna, thick and dense, just the way he likes it. My sisters-in-law brought hors d'oeurves and I provided the salad and cake. I'm thankful for friends and family and the opportunity to gather together.

It's Boxing Day, one of my favorite days of the year. Boxing Day is not an American holiday, but I'm happy to celebrate it with the Commonwealth Nations who do. It's always felt like a special holiday to me, and I love the special designation.

The house feels warmed and blessed by yet another holiday with loved ones, and the joy of Christmas lingers in the quiet. There are no plans for today, except to go where the spirit moves us. This morning I'm going to sort through piles on my desk while sipping a latte made with one of the new flavored syrups I got in my stocking, and drink it from a new mug.

Our Christmas began on Friday, celebrating with our grandchildren. On Christmas Eve my niece arrived with some new board games, bottles of wine, and all the fixings for Christmas breakfast. That night we played games and watched White Christmas. Yesterday, after a breakfast of homemade waffles with fruit and sausage, my dad and Carol arrived for appetizers, more board games, and we ordered Chinese for dinner. Topped off with pecan pie, it was a really nice, low-key afternoon with lots of laughter, FaceTiming with the rest of the family, and just savoring the warmth of being together.

I mentioned in my last post that we had a special visitor on Friday. Lo and behold, look who showed up!

Aunt Kathy's connections made for a lot of excitement for Brooklynn and Bentley. We were sorry that Uncle Steve missed all the excitement, but he joined us for the evening after Santa left.

So, today we'll soak up the calm that follows a big holiday. There are half-full tins of treats from our neighbors, a couple of new books for us to read, and we'll probably catch up on segments of our favorite shows. Outside the sun reflects off the snow, and the warmth of yet another Christmas lingers in our hearts.

🎄

 It's been one of those weeks where it seems so many people I know are struggling. In fact, the world seems to be struggling a lot these days, isn't it? I'm finding joy in the smaller moments, so I'll share some with you now for Friday's Fave Five. 

A Christmas Concert ~ My nephew is a senior in high school this year, so each of the concerts he plays in are bittersweet, knowing it's a 'last.' Dan and I attended Tommy's winter concert this week and as always thoroughly enjoyed the music. The highlight was a compilation of Beatles songs, and Tommy's trumpet solo for Hey Jude! He nailed it!

A new book ~ I follow a group on FB called American Historical Novels. It's fun to see what new books are coming out and read about the authors. This week, there was a zoom meeting with Mariah Fredericks, author of The Lindbergh Nanny. It was so interesting to listen in on the discussion of how she researched the book and her writing process. And I was thrilled to learn the next day that I won an autographed copy of the book! 

Last night was the first in a long time that I finally got a decent night's sleep. I find that sleep is often a topic of conversation at my age, among friends and family. Funny how things circle around. It was the same when we had new babies. "Does he sleep?" For me, poor sleep seems to come in phases. I usually sleep pretty well, but then I'll get into a week or two where it just doesn't come easily -- falling asleep, waking in the middle of the night and not being able to go back. 

It's been over a week since I've blogged, so like sleep it's sometimes hard to get back into it.

Thanksgiving was lovely. There were seven of us -- Marcus and the kids cancelled at the last minute due to a poorly-feeling Bentley -- so around the table were Dad and Carol, my brother Mark, nieces Brandi and Elsa, and of course Dan and I. Oh, and Tommy came by for appetizers, before dinner at his house with extended family. It was different than the old days, which we seem to lament about a lot -- the way holidays used to be. And yet, it occurs to me that we are creating some pretty nice memories right now. Brandi, who is in her first year residency, has been on a tight schedule. So when she came late Wednesday to stay the night and help with preparations the next morning, we spent the evening relaxing with pizza, wine and a movie. Thanksgiving Eve has always been a holiday of sorts in my mind, and it was fun to have her and Dan and me, kicking it off with one of my favorite Christmas movies, The Family Stone.

Thursday morning, the three of us started early in the kitchen, Dan at the sink cleaning up as we went. We had the traditional dinner, the girls made pie and cheesecake for dessert, and it was a nice day.

Today. . . the tree is up, but not decorated yet. I'm going to set up the Christmas village. It's a sunny day, but gray, heavy skies over the mountains portend a storm later tonight. A bird walk that was scheduled for tomorrow morning has been cancelled. I'm looking forward to a day tucked in at home.

Ending on a silly note. Saturday, Kathy and I went to do a little Christmas shopping, and got carried away in the tree topper section of our local home store.

Happy Advent everyone.

December is speeding by so quickly. I'm not nearly as busy with holiday preparations as I've been in the past, but the pace is still brisk. One reason is that I'm training a replacement for my position at work. Yes, I'm stepping down in January, and with Dan fully retired, we're certainly going to have a lifestyle change. I'm excited for what lies ahead! hopefully seeing the kids more, taking our trailer out a bunch, and spending more time with hobbies I love.

Knowing it would be a busy month, I put my Christmas decorations up early, so that we could enjoy them during downtime throughout the month. In the evenings I've been on a movie watching binge. Dan and I watched News of the World a couple of nights ago, and when we finally figured out how to stream the new season of Yellowstone, we binged on that one night. I've been re-watching lots of my favorite movies, too, including Sabrina (the newer version), An Affair to Remember, The Bishops Wife, and The Holiday. My favorite classic, White Christmas is all queued up for later this week. When the grandkids were here last week, I saw Elf and Home Alone -- for the first time. (I'm hopeless when it comes to newer movies).

The tree through the French doors from the den.

There are so many things that I love about this season of the year, and near the top of my list of favorites is the light that comes in December. The holiday lights are spectacular, and this year we have been treated to some amazing sunrises and sunsets. All to remind me how important it is to be a light in times of darkness. My friends and I had a really neat discussion about that over coffee earlier this week. Which leads me to my first favorite for Friday's Fave Five.

A quote ~ I've been reflecting on this quote by Mother Teresa:

Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.

I'm trying to be especially mindful of how my words and actions affect people around me. There is a lot to be concerned about these days, for sure. While I keep many of the concerns about the state of the country and the world and the environment, in my prayers, I'm trying to reflect optimism and hope to those who need it.

Light! ~ One day this week, we were treated to this magnificent view, right across the street from our house. I could swear I heard a whisper from the heavens - "Nice, but watch this." 

More light! ~  Last Saturday, Dan and I went to the botanical gardens holiday lights with my dad and Carol, and our niece Elsa. I love this photo of her. The display is a little different each year, but always the best! It was a beautiful, calm night, great for strolling the gardens and sipping hot chocolate.